Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Quote of the Day (William Shakespeare, on Being on Holiday All Year Round)



“If all the year were playing holidays,
To sport would be as tedious as to work.”—Prince Hal in English playwright and poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Henry IV, Part I (1600)

When I came across this quote a week ago, there was no identification of it other than the fact that it had been written by Shakespeare. But it reminded me an awful lot of a class I took on Shakespeare nearly 40 years ago with Columbia University’s Edward Tayler. 

The theme I recall, from that single semester, was about going from the world of holiday to the world of everyday—and sure enough, this is the passage that Prince Hal, boon companion to a bunch of hellraisers like Falstaff, will negotiate on his way to becoming King Henry V, the monarch who will reject his old way of life in assuming his new responsibilities.

This week, then, will be the last chance to enjoy the world of holiday while we can. Let’s enjoy it while we can.

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